Prasad Podugu

Dr. Prasad Podugu is a Clinical Professor and registered clinical psychologist at Charles Sturt University (CSU), affiliated with the Ageing Well Research Group and the interdisciplinary 'Pathways to Healthy Ageing' project at RMIT University. He holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and has over 25 years of experience in tertiary education, public hospitals, and clinical settings across Australia, New Zealand, and India. His academic roles include teaching courses on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), clinical interventions, and cultural aspects of mental health.

Education: PhD (Clinical Psychology), MPhil (Medicine & Social Psychology), MA (Psychology), and BSc. Professional memberships include the Australian Psychological Society (APS), New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists, and Fellow of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists. He contributed to establishing the Memory Service at Waikato Hospital, New Zealand, and focuses on clinical geropsychology, dementias, and multicultural mental health.

Research interests emphasize psychosocial wellbeing of older adults, cultural competence in healthcare, and telehealth applications for chronic pain management. Recent work explores mental health interventions via telehealth during pandemics and neurocognitive impairments post-concussion. Awards include the 2025 Discretionary Research Grant and 2024 Vice Chancellor’s Research Award for contributions to ageing research.

Grant activities include interdisciplinary scoping reviews on ageing and rural health. Collaborations span international teams focusing on gerontology and multicultural clinical practices. His lab affiliations include CSU’s Ageing Well Group and RMIT’s 'Pathways to Healthy Ageing' initiative.